


Growing Noise

by INeverHadMyInternetPhase



Series: Soulmate Sounds [2]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Plotless Fluff really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-14 00:14:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9148351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/INeverHadMyInternetPhase/pseuds/INeverHadMyInternetPhase
Summary: After meeting his soulmate in the most unlikely of circumstances, Phil Lester considers the future of their relationship. Also they meet Phil's family. Lots of fluff. Sequel to Shared Sounds, read that first!





	

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year! I wanted to write something for 2017 and I had a lot of people requesting a sequel to ‘Shared Sounds’ that I wrote back in June. It’s a verse I really enjoyed writing in, so I went for it and this is the result. Read ‘Shared Sounds’ first if you haven’t already!

With the rehearsal drawing to an end, Phil closed his eyes and pushed his sweaty fringe back away from his forehead. Their tiny little rehearsal studio was uncomfortably hot. Several hours had already passed and Phil wanted nothing more than to curl up back in his flat with a mug of coffee and his favourite green and blue pillow, but they still had one more song to get through.

Honestly, the only thing that made these rehearsals worth it (aside from, you know, the importance of practise if they ever wanted to get their new album recorded) was knowing that Dan was listening.

Sure enough, Phil’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He took a second to glance at his bandmates – Matt was messing around with Joey on the drums, so he figured he had a moment or two. Phil slid his phone out of his pocket, breaking out into a smile at the message on the screen.

**Dan:** _Oi you can’t stop yet I still have twenty minutes promised_

Phil could feel the smile stretching across his face. Ever since Dan had come bursting into his life, Phil found himself doing more and more just to make his soulmate smile. Unfortunately, they didn’t get to see each other much – Dan wasn’t in London, and Phil was tied up with work a lot – so they had to make do with texting. And, of course, listening to each other’s surroundings.

Phil texted back quickly, casting another surreptitious glance over at his bandmates. _Don’t worry, you’ll get more. I think you’ll like this next one_

“Matt,” he called after a moment, “We’re doing the ballad next, right?”

“Hmm?” Matt, their lead singer and front man, looked up from the drum set. He rolled his eyes when he saw the phone in Phil’s hand. “Yes. Tell your tiny soulmate to chill, he’ll get his favourite soon.”

“He’s not tiny,” Phil muttered, already distracted by a new text. Matt just rolled his eyes harder, sharing an amused glance with Joey and Alex, their bassist, before turning back to the drum set.

Phil ignored them all. Their teasing had been absolutely merciless since Phil first met Dan, and ok, yes, maybe Phil was a complete soppy mess with him, but it was _deserved._ Phil had lived in silence until he was 22, he’d completely given up on all hope of even having a soulmate.

Until Dan crashed into his life.

Phil could still remember the bleary morning he’d first awoken to the rush of shared sounds in his head. Initially, he’d freaked out – the day had been just the same as any other to him, waking up in his one-person flat alone with nothing to do until band practise in the evening. It had been stupidly early, as well. And there were _noises_ in his _head_.

Naturally, Phil had completely freaked out.

It had taken him several long, painful, panic-filled minutes to work out what must be happening – that he must be hearing the fabled shared sounds, the sounds you heard when both you and your soulmate were 18. They remained a confused mush of background noise until you and your soulmate actually met in person, but even the weird cacophony was better than the endless silence. You could tell the ones who were living in the silence – their eyes were never quite as alive.

Phil had been one of those people.

He’d all but completely resigned himself to spending eternity alone once he’d reached his twenties and still not heard the sounds. As his age inched ever upwards, even if he _did_ hear the sounds, his soulmate would have been a lot younger than him and Phil wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about that.

The relief at waking up that morning in June to the sounds and the knowledge that he had a soulmate who had just turned 18 somewhere in the world was incomprehensible.

The first thing Phil did was call his mum. He’d originally debated not telling anyone – he _certainly_ wasn’t planning on telling his bandmates any time soon – but he had no secrets from his mother and he needed her advice just then. Despite her living halfway across the country from his residence in London, she was still the first person Phil turned to in a crisis. And, as ever, she’d pulled through for him.

“ _Keep quiet for now, your person will show up when they’ll show up._ ”

“That’s all well and good, mum, but how long am I supposed to wait?”

_“Just until they find you. They will. The sounds are a promise.”_

Her advice hadn’t been all that helpful at the time, but it at least assured Phil that he wouldn’t be alone forever. The sounds were rather exciting, really, with their promise of a person made just for him waiting somewhere in their world.

Phil had allowed himself to dream, but nothing he could imagine was as perfect as when he’d first seen Dan.

Dan, this too-tall-for-this awkward mess of a teenager who’d just been staring when Phil finally saw him. Just standing stock still in the middle of a crowded station, staring at Phil like he’d just dropped from the air. Phil could recall exactly the bell-like sound he’d heard upon seeing Dan, and the way the confused noise inside his head had sharpened right up into clarity, just as it was supposed to be.

And then Dan had just fallen right into his life, exactly as he was supposed to be.

Phil had gone down to see Dan’s parents the next weekend. They were a nice family, welcoming if a little nervous about his age. Phil couldn’t blame them. Most soulmates in their world were close to the same age, but Phil couldn’t imagine having anyone other than Dan now. He’d been worried enough to be cautious at first, though, only sitting with Dan downstairs within earshot of his parents and returning to London the same day he’d arrived.

Dan had all but begged him to stay, and Phil was having a hard time saying no by the end of the day. He and Dan just _clicked_ – they spent hours sitting in Dan’s living room playing Mario Kart or Portal (which Dan had somehow managed to complete faster than Phil despite having schoolwork when Phil’s days were spent doing nothing other than waiting for rehearsals in the evening). Since that first time, Phil had been to Dan’s house three more times, but that was all they’d managed so far. Aside from daily texting.

“Earth to Phil,” Matt reached across the studio to nudge Phil with his microphone stand. “Rehearsing, here.”

“Whoops, sorry,” Phil murmured, shoving his phone back into his pocket and picking up his guitar. Rehearsing. Right. The sounds in his head were minimal, probably because Dan was hibernating under his covers to better hear them. Phil smiled a bit. He really did think Dan would like this next one – Phil had helped Matt out with the lyrics, and maybe they were a little bit inspired by Dan. Maybe.

Sure enough, no sooner had they finished the first play-through than Phil’s phone was buzzing repeatedly against his leg. He could tell Matt was getting tired, though, so Phil stopped himself from checking until after the rehearsal was finished. The night was drawing on, and his bed was sounding pretty inviting just then.

They finished playing through their three completed songs and bashed out a few ideas for another two before heading off for the night. The other three all lived with their soulmates already, which had always made Phil feel a little bit lonely. As he was waiting for the tube he pulled his phone out again and grinned at the barrage of texts from Dan.

_Ok you’re right I love this song_

_That line’s about me isn’t it_

_You know the one with the scruffy hair and black clothes_

_I’d be more offended if I didn’t know you loved it_

_Oi Lester stop ignoring me_

_I can hear you aren’t rehearsing right now_

_Text me when you get home then twat <3_

Phil answered while biting back a grin. _I’m not technically home yet but you’re getting a text anyway_

Predictably, Dan answered straight away with a quick _needy loser_ , adding _skype later?_ within seconds.

_Love to <3 _Phil sent back, before the tube arrived and he hopped into a carriage with about fifty million other people. He hated travelling through London at night.

Skype had become their favourite way of contacting each other, and they usually did so every night before one of them fell asleep. Phil could still remember the time he’d woken a little blearily from a nap to find Dan’s face still blinking at him from an open skype window, focused on some video game, but still with Phil on his screen. Once he’d noticed Phil was awake again, he’d grinned and murmured a quiet, “There you are,” before proceeding to show Phil the new level he’d unlocked.

Forget butterflies, there’d been a whole stampede of elephants in Phil’s stomach at that point.

Tonight, though, Phil had something important to bring up with Dan. He wasted no time setting up his computer as soon as he got home, second only to flicking the kettle on for some coffee. Dan answered the call while Phil was still making it, so he shouted from across the kitchen, “Be there in a sec! Don’t do anything without me.”

“As if I would,” came Dan’s scoffing reply, but Phil was learning to hear the undertone of affection lying behind his words. Dan was a prickly person when you first knew him, all hard edges and defensive walls, but Phil was slowly unpicking all that to get to the truly gentle person lying underneath.

After all, Dan had sent him a giant parcel full of goodies when he realised he’d missed Phil’s birthday. Including a giant fluffy Totoro. That took a special sort of person.

Coffee in hand, Phil made his way over to his bed and settled in front of the laptop screen, grinning immediately as soon as he saw Dan’s face hovering in darkness. “Hiding in your room again?”

“If I go downstairs then you’ll spend more time talking to my mum than me,” Dan complained. “Seriously, she loves you more than me already, I think.”

“I can’t help being charming,” Phil shrugged, grinning wickedly when Dan threw a cushion at his webcam.

“You know what’s really funny though,” Dan added, shifting about until he was flopped back on his pillows with his laptop on his chest. Phil stared at his face and wished he could crawl through the screen. “Is my mum _hated_ you guys when I was listening to you instead of revising, she’d always be like _not that terrible band again put on some proper music,_ but then as soon as she meets you it’s all smiles and baking you muffins.”

Phil didn’t bother hiding his giant grin this time. Occasionally Dan would slip up and reveal just how much of a giant fanboy he was, and Phil loved it. Usually Dan got embarrassed and tried to hide it. Phil much preferred when he didn’t.

“Tell your mum she bakes the best cakes, and I want to come back soon,” Phil answered.

Dan made a face at him. “I won’t, she’ll just grab you and make you move in. Well, actually, maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”

Phil’s eyes dimmed a bit. “Miss you.”

“Me too,” Dan admitted, and then he was giving Phil the softest of smiles through the camera lens, the kind that made Phil’s heart ache. “When do you think you’ll be able to make it here again?”

“Well, that’s the thing, actually.” Phil swallowed, steeling himself.

Dan immediately looked alarmed. “Fuck, you can’t come back ever, can you?”

“What?” Phil blinked. He was ridiculously nervous “No, of course not! I want to come back as soon as I can, it’s just – um.”

“Um?” Dan raised one eyebrow.

Phil shifted about on his bed, twisting the sheets between his fingers. “Um. My mum wants to meet you.”

Dan recoiled, if just for a second. It tugged at Phil’s heart. Dan’s expression arranged itself carefully into something casual and he said, “Oh. Cool.”

“Cool?” Phil tilted his head, studying Dan closely. “Is that all you’ve got to say?”

“I’m sure your mum’s cool,” Dan said defensively.

Phil snickered. “She’ll be thrilled to hear that.”

“Probably the only thing she’ll be thrilled about,” Dan muttered, and there it was. Exactly what Phil had feared. Dan was retreating back into his shell, putting up all the sharp edges again. It was his self-defence mechanism, from what Phil had pieced together in the short time he’d known Dan.

“Dan,” Phil said earnestly, wishing he could reach out to take Dan’s hand. “Dan, no.”

Dan peeked up at him from under his fringe.

“I mean it,” Phil pushed. “None of this. No throwing yourself under the bus, or pretending like you’re not the best thing to happen in my life.”

That earned him a smile, even though Dan looked reluctant to let it show. He shuffled in a bit closer to his laptop screen, so Phil could see the hints of gold hidden in his eyes, and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “You just called meeting me better than finishing your first album.”

“There’s no competition,” Phil answered immediately.

Dan chuckled. “Don’t let your bandmates hear you say that.”

“They get it,” Phil shrugged, leaning in. He wished he could hold Dan’s hand. “Everyone gets it. You’re the most important.”

There was a spot of unusual colour on Dan’s cheek. Phil allowed himself a hint of pride at putting it there.

“Anyway,” Phil pressed on, “My mum.”

“Your mum,” Dan agreed.

“She wants you to come up to hers,” Phil explained, “Well, to mine. Ours. My family home.”

“Way up north, then,” Dan joked, putting on a terrible accent that made Phil want to whack him one. “Where the mountains and snow creatures live.”

“Yeah, so you’d better watch your back.”

“Lucky I’ll have you there to protect me, then.” Dan peeked up through his fringe again – something he did when he was shy and nervous. Phil filed that away in his Dan-knowledge centre. He was also tapping out a rhythm against his laptop with the fingers of his left hand – another nervous habit that Dan had exhibited more than once. Mostly when he was off his guard and seemed to forget that Phil was looking at him. Phil loved those moments more than any other.

“When would this be?” Dan asked over the tapping of his fingers.

“She said this weekend, if you can make it.” Phil gave him a long, considering look through the grainy laptop screen. “If your parents are happy. You can come meet me in London and we can get the train up together.”

“I’ll ask them at breakfast.” Dan shifted forwards a bit, rolling and reaching down to the side of his laptop – probably for his games controller. “Want to see which level I’m on now?”

“Always,” Phil grinned, and settled down with his coffee to watch his soulmate play games – the best way to end a stressful rehearsal that Phil had ever found.

\---

Dan’s parents said yes, which meant that Dan was currently on his way to London. Like, right now. Which was stressing Phil out a bit.

It wasn’t that he was nervous about seeing Dan – ok, well, maybe he was a little bit. But only a bit! Mostly he was thrilled, excited, keen to see him in person and not just through a slightly-cracked laptop screen. Maybe he’d get to hold his hand again, to learn more about him. They’d certainly be spending enough time together.

But that was also what was scaring Phil. It was already Friday afternoon, he had the entire weekend off, they’d be travelling up to Manchester Saturday morning. Which gave them the entirety of Friday evening to be alone together in Phil’s flat.

That was why Phil was freaking out.

He needed to make sure Dan felt safe, that Dan wasn’t going to be pressured into anything. Equally, _Phil_ didn’t want to be pressured into anything. Though he trusted Dan completely, he just wanted them both to be comfortable without worrying about what they should or shouldn’t be doing.

He had plans to take Dan out for dinner. Dan had mentioned a love of sushi – a love that Phil, happily, shared – and there was a great place near the train station. They’d go there and talk. Phil was just a bit scared about what would happen after.

But there was no need to be worrying about that yet. First things first, Dan had to actually get here.

Unlike the first time they’d met, Phil knew which platform Dan was arriving into this time (it helped that Dan had actually planned this trip. Phil still shook his head in mock horror when he remembered how Dan had literally just come tearing into London on the first train he could get without anything even _close_ to a plan). Phil was leaning against a post, seeing as all the seats were taken, and looking anxiously out to the tracks waiting for the train to arrive.

He spotted Dan as soon as he’d stepped out onto the platform. Both of them being tall had its advantages, mostly being the ability to stare over the top of everyone else’s heads and communicate solely with each other. They were like giraffes who appeared solitary but were actually members of giant herds who could communicate over vast distances due to their heights.

Was that a silly thought? Probably. But it would make Dan laugh.

“Hello, fellow giraffe,” Phil announced as soon as he was close enough to pull Dan into a bone-crushing hug.

Sure enough, the sound of muffled laughter came from Phil’s shoulder. “I’m sure there’s a story behind that, but I’m not sure I even want to know.”

“Classified for us giraffe specialists,” Phil agreed. He held Dan against him for probably too long, just breathing him in. He was _here_. No amount of skype calls could replicate this, not really.

Dan didn’t complain, or try to draw away. Not even once. He simply let Phil hold him, and held him back, if a little more tentatively.

“Good journey?” Phil asked after they had pulled away, and then picked up Dan’s bag before Dan could reach for it.

Dan made a face at him, but answered, “Good enough. There was a baby at the other end of the carriage.”

“Aw!” Phil brightened up, taking Dan’s hand and beginning to lead him through the crowds towards the exit.

“If you dare say _aw_ ,” Dan grumbled, “I will kill you. She was screaming the entire way down here.”

“So a girl then?” Phil asked, laughing when Dan poked him in the side. “What? Babies are cute.”

“You’re cute,” Dan muttered, somehow able to make it sound like an insult. It still had Phil flushing, grateful when the crowds died down around them and he didn’t have to lean quite so close to hear Dan.

It didn’t take long for any and all of Phil’s fears to dissipate. The minute he mentioned sushi Dan was enthusiastically dragging him there, and as soon as they were settled opposite each other on a table, conversation flowed easily. There was no awkwardness, just as there had never been any awkwardness. Phil had been worrying over nothing.

Well, mostly nothing. His fears still remained for that night, and the coming morning.

He’d been planning to bring it up, to discuss it with Dan, but in the excitement of seeing him again Phil sort of just… forgot. They were too busy arguing over which anime was the best, or which Marvel film had the worst ending, or which one of Phil’s band’s albums was the best. Rather amusingly, Dan’s favourite was the one Phil liked the least.

“But our first was so _bad_ ,” he complained weakly over the last bite of his sushi. “We had a concept that we didn’t want to drop, even when it didn’t work.”

“That’s what’s so incredible about it!” Dan had finished his meal before Phil, and hadn’t stopped talking since. “You were still finding your feet, it’s like, foetus Sunshine Squad.”

Phil grimaced.

“Don’t look like that,” Dan told him off, “It’s _wonderful_. So coherent. I wish you guys would do a concept album again.”

“I don’t think Joey would appreciate that,” Phil answered wryly. He could still remember the endless cycle of complaints from the last one, and if a band wanted to be successful then they quickly learned not to piss off the drummer.

“Fuck Joey,” Dan said calmly. “Do what works.”

“That’s not how you do teamwork, Dan,” Phil reprimanded, but he was smiling. Dan was so _animated_ , probably the most animated Phil had ever seen him, and he looked so _alive_. Alive, and real, and sitting right across from Phil. Within touching distance.

Phil reached out to grab his hand.

Dan blinked up at him, and there was that shy little smile again – Phil’s favourite, the one that just crinkled up the corner of Dan’s eyes. Then his fingers squeezed around Phil’s.

Phil paid the bill, squashing any and all protests from Dan (who’d had to pay train tickets to get here, so it was really only fair), and then they were walking back to Phil’s flat and he still hadn’t thought about this at all.

Amazingly, Dan was on the same page as him as always. Or maybe that wasn’t so surprising. The universe usually got it right with soulmates.

“I want you to know,” Dan was saying to him as they approached Phil’s door, “That listening in on rehearsals has completely ruined your new stuff for me.”

Phil sent him a betrayed look.

“You _know_ how I feel about spoilers,” Dan reprimanded, “And you just went and rushed straight into rehearsals without even _thinking_ about me.”

“Excuse you, I remember you being all excited about wanting to listen in,” Phil argued.

“That was before.” Dan leaned against the door, watching as Phil fumbled for his key. “Now, I know exactly how terrible it is to have all your songs spoiled before the album comes out.”

“Well, I can hardly wear earplugs. _I_ need to hear what’s going on, which means you get to hear, too.” Phil finally got the door open, stepping aside a bit nervously to let Dan in first. He’d had as much of a tidy-up as he could, but there was no real way to hide the stacks of paper or scruffy pillows worn from too much use.

Dan, of course, went straight for Phil’s guitar, which was propped up somewhat precariously in the corner of the room. He’d seen it in skype calls – that had been one of his first requests, actually, which made Phil laugh – but never in real life.

“Don’t break it,” Phil warned as he headed into the kitchen to stick the kettle on.

“As _if_ ,” Dan shot back, “I’m _rescuing_ it, do you even know how close to falling over it was?”

“You’re not allowed to criticise me if you’re a true fanboy.”

“Fuck off, I’m _the_ true fanboy.”

Phil snorted. He turned back around and there was Dan, sitting on his sofa with his guitar in his lap, looking for all the world like he belonged exactly there.

What had Phil been worried about, again?

He came back over with two mugs, one coffee, the other hot chocolate, and set them down on the coffee table before settling next to Dan. Within seconds, Dan had ditched the guitar (carefully, with much more respect than Phil usually paid it), and then he was wriggling his way under Phil’s arm.

Phil wasn’t complaining. He lifted his arm accommodatingly, nearly spilling coffee on his lap in the process.

“You,” Dan noted, “Are a disaster.”

“I know,” Phil agreed contritely.

Dan chuckled. He wormed his way in closer, and Phil leaned into him, losing himself in the warmth. Dan was so _warm_ , and this wasn’t something they’d really got to explore yet. Just holding each other.

Dan fit perfectly against him, as it turned out. As if he was made to be there.

“So tonight,” Phil murmured, pressing the words into Dan’s hair so he didn’t have to look at his face, “Um. You can take the bed, I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“You will not,” Dan murmured back, as if that was the end of the discussion.

Phil tried to frown, but it was hard when Dan’s hair was so soft. “But there’s only one bed.”

“So share with me.” Dan shifted around a bit, until he had Phil aligned for perfect comfort. “I brought pyjamas, don’t worry.”

Phil paused. It shouldn’t be that easy, should it?

After a moment of Phil not moving, Dan let out a sigh and tilted his face up, nearly cracking Phil’s nose in the process. “You sleep, I sleep, no shenanigans. Ok? Talk over. Now cuddle.”

So apparently, tired Dan couldn’t manage full sentences. That was… adorable.

“Ok,” Phil murmured back, and held Dan tighter.

\---

Waking up with Dan in his flat was a new and wonderful experience. Dan was just as much of a cuddler as Phil was, so they ended up kind of sprawled all over each other in a tangle of limbs and bedsheets. Phil wasn’t complaining, though. He was very, very warm, and also fairly sure that this was the state of bliss that everyone kept talking about.

He’d have loved to prolong the moment, but his alarm was buzzing somewhere very loudly by his ear and he was ninety percent sure they had a train to catch. So he batted somewhere near where he thought Dan’s head was. “C’mon. Up.”

He got a string of unintelligible syllables in reply.

“Daaa _aaaan_.” Phil pushed at him again, somewhere near his ribs this time. That earned him a bit more of a reaction, even if it was just Dan rolling off him and shoving his face determinedly into the pillow instead.

Phil got a bit caught up with staring at the cuteness of that, and ended up lying in bed for several more minutes than he probably should have. But then the alarm started going off again and he jumped up, throwing the covers away from both of them in an effort to wake Dan up too.

“You are the _worst person_ ,” Dan groaned from somewhere over by his side.

“Don’t say that,” Phil answered, giving Dan’s side a bit of a whack. “C’mon. Gotta go meet your mother in law.”

Dan groaned again. “She’s going to _hate_ me.”

“Not if you get up on time, she won’t.” Phil proceeded to head to his wardrobe, “I’m going to the bathroom, when I come out you should be up and dressed.”

“I’m stealing one of your hoodies,” came the mumbled reply from the bedsheets.

Phil snorted, but he left the drawer open on his way out.

\---

The train up to Manchester was another new experience for the both of them. For the first time, Phil was getting to sit right _next_ to Dan for an extended time, getting to be part of his surroundings instead of just hearing them in his head and trying to guess at what Dan was doing. The noises in his skull were at their calmest when he was sitting with Dan, because their background sounds were the same. They melded into one.

That was why you were supposed to be with your soulmate as much as possible. There were no interfering noises to distract you from your day when you were doing everything together.

Dan was wrapped up in Phil’s giant green hoodie, the brightest thing Phil had seen him wearing to date. He liked the way it swamped Dan, liked the way it looked when Dan pulled the sleeves down over his palms like he was trying to cuddle into it as much as possible.

“You might never be getting this back,” Dan confessed, leaning into Phil’s side.

“You come into my house and steal _my_ clothes,” Phil mumbled, but the kiss he pressed to the top of Dan’s head retracted any sting his words might have held.

A low, muffled gasp sounded from somewhere up the train.

Phil looked up, confused, to find a girl sitting with her friend a couple of seats away, staring at Phil with wide eyes.

Phil looked a bit abashed. He nudged at Dan, trying to get him to lean away a bit, but then the girl was standing up and moving towards them and Phil’s stomach clenched.

“I’m sorry,” she breathed, staring at his face in a way he was all too accustomed to, “But are you Phil Lester?”

“Yeah,” he admitted, and grinned at her squeal.

Dan had leaned away from his side, finally, and was staring up at the girl with surprise. Then he shot Phil a quick look, and then stared down at his lap where he was pinching his fingers together.

Phil reached out to cover both of his hands with his own, not missing the way the girl’s fingers tracked his movement.

“I’ve been a fan for ages,” she explained, her voice still a little shaky. “Ever since your second album.”

“Loser,” Dan muttered under his breath. “I’ve been around since _before_ the first.”

Phil kicked him beneath the seat, but he was grinning. “That’s so awesome!”

“No, no, you guys are—” the girl shook herself, and then fumbled for her bag. “Uh, could you – I mean – would you sign something for me?”

“Sure,” Phil agreed easily, “Do you want a picture too?”

The girl squealed. Dan sneered.

Phil kicked him again, but then stood up and took the girl’s phone, taking the photo, and then signing her college notes – the only paper she had on her.

“I’m sticking this to your album as soon as I get home,” she promised, and then shot a curious glance at Dan.

Phil hesitated, heart in his mouth. Would she ask? Part of him _wanted_ her to ask.

She didn’t. She just backed away with another slightly awkward wave and then disappeared back to her seat.

Phil settled back down beside Dan with a low chuckle. “I hate that. I’m always so awkward.”

“ _You_ weren’t awkward.” Dan sounded pouty. “You were all suave and smooth charm.”

“Me?” Phil asked mildly.

“Yeah. You. _Do you want a picture, too?_ What was that, anyway?”

“I’d be offended, if I didn’t know you were jealous,” Phil answered sagely.

Dan shot him a sidelong glare. “I am not _jealous_.”

“Could have fooled me.”

“Shut up,” Dan muttered, and then placed his head squarely back against Phil’s shoulder. Phil laughed. He hesitated, just for a moment, his arm hovering over Dan’s shoulders. It would be so easy to wrap him up, to hold him closer.

But the girl was probably still watching.

So what? So what if she saw? So what if she took a photo and posted it all over the internet? Phil had always kept quiet about his private life, not wanting to mix it up at all with his band, but… but he hadn’t had anything to show off before.

He glanced down at Dan. No, he didn’t have any reason for hiding Dan from the world.

As long as Dan was ok with it.

He prodded at Dan’s side, earning a low angry growl. “Hey. Would you mind us coming out?”

Dan shot upright, blinking at Phil with wide eyes. “Ex-Exc _use me_?”

“I mean, like.” Phil was growing less and less confident the more Dan stared at him. “Uh. You know, announcing to the public that we’re. A thing.”

“I don’t know,” Dan answered, stunned. “You don’t _do_ that.”

“I’ve never had anything to show, before,” Phil pointed out. “And how do you know I don’t do that?”

“Because I stalked you everywhere it is possible to stalk you and I still don’t know your mum’s name, even though I’m literally about to meet her.”

“…Fair point.”

Dan chewed his lower lip, giving Phil a considering look. “Why’d you ask that?”

Phil shrugged. “You know. The girl. I wouldn’t have minded if she’d asked who you were.”

“Huh.” Dan thought about it for a little longer, leaning into Phil’s side. “It would put a stop to all the speculating on the forums.”

Phil blinked. “What speculating on what forums?”

“Wow, you don’t keep up with your own fanbase, do you?” Dan chuckled, then reached up to fix Phil’s fringe. “Ever since the interview where I heard you. When you proudly announced on live TV that you’d just heard your sounds for the first time and your soulmate was called Dan.”

“Oh.” Phil blinked, flushing a bit at the memory. Not one of his proudest moments ever, having to be awkwardly led off stage by all of his bandmates. “Yeah. That.”

“ _Yeah. That._ ” Dan teased with a delicate poke at Phil’s side. “Got all sorts of theories going. There’s several hunts to find the mysterious Dan.”

Phil frowned. “They haven’t been bothering you, have they?”

“Oh, no, far from it.” Dan let out a harsh laugh. “I’m nowhere near important enough to be up for consideration.”

Phil’s lips turned down at that. “You’re important to me.”

Dan glanced up at him, surprised. Then he smiled that soft, sweet smile again. “Yeah. And you’re the only one that matters, really.”

Phil’s answering grin was brilliant.

One day, then. One day, he’d announce to the world that Dan was his, and everyone would learn just how special and talented he really was.

\---

Phil’s mum loved Dan on sight, just as Phil had known she would.

She’d arranged a big dinner, his dad and Martyn and Cornelia all in attendance. Phil told her off for making such a fuss when she’d promised him to keep it small-scale, but she just laughed him off and then swept Dan into the biggest hug she could offer.

The Lesters were renowned for their hugs.

Dan was charming, too. He’d been in his shell a bit at first, shyly thanking Phil’s mum for her hospitality and looking a little nervous when being introduced to Phil’s brother, but as the meal went on and he settled in he quickly grew more comfortable.

In fact, it didn’t take long for the entire thing to be more about teasing Phil than it was about getting to know Dan.

Phil couldn’t be too mad, though. His family were welcoming, as he’d always known they would be, but there was still something _special_ about watching the way his mum gave Dan extra helpings of Yorkshire pudding, and how his dad asked Dan specifically for help with the crossword.

Dan was slotting in so easily and perfectly. The universe definitely got something right.

Phil’s mum had set up the spare room for Dan, though she quietly pulled Phil aside and told him that if he wanted Dan in his room instead, she’d turn a blind eye. He was torn between embarrassment and thanks, and ended up just kind of spluttering.

She gave him one of her all-knowing grins, and said, “Night, dear. Dan, there’s extra blankets, get Phil to show you if you’re cold.”

“Thanks,” Dan answered, “For everything. Really.”

She grinned at him, kissed them both on the cheek, and then conspicuously disappeared.

“Your mum’s the best,” Dan announced as soon as she was gone. His eyes were bright, his cheeks a little flushed, and he looked full and happy and _content_. At home.

Phil really wanted him to be at home here.

“I do have the best mum,” Phil agreed, “Just don’t tell your mum I said that.”

Dan snickered.

“So,” Phil added, “There’s the guest room, or mine. Um. It’s up to you.”

Dan gave him a long look. “Is that really a question?”

Phil flashed him a grin. “Want to come play Mario Kart upstairs until we fall asleep?”

“Now _there’s_ the question,” Dan grinned, and followed Phil immediately.

\---

“Are you happy?”

Dan’s voice was a bit muffled, his face pressed somewhere against Phil’s chest. They’d curled up together kind of half-heartedly making an effort to get properly into bed after Phil had started falling asleep. The screen was still blinking somewhere in the background.

“Wha?” Phil muttered, already mostly asleep again.

Dan shifted a bit against him. Phil made grabby hands for him.

“Are you happy?” Dan asked again, with just enough amount of serious in his tone to make Phil crack his eyes open again.

“Yeah. Really happy.” Phil grabbed at him, rolled, pulled him close. “Couldn’t be happier. Well, maybe I could, if you let me sleep.”

Dan chuckled. It was the same happy, almost disbelieving little noise he’d made when he somehow managed to beat Phil at guitar hero earlier (the irony in that was kind of beautiful, Phil had to admit). “Really? Even with me?”

“Only with you,” Phil mumbled. His eyes had closed again. “Go to sleep.”

Dan went quiet for a few moments. He’d settled back against Phil, and Phil was finally drifting back into sleep when Dan spoke again, quietly but confidently. “I’m in love with you.”

Phil’s eyes flew open. He searched for Dan’s face, found it, and then pulled him in so tight that it was probably crushing his bones just a bit.

Dan squawked. “Excuse you. Trying to breathe, here.”

“Shush, let me hug you.” Phil pressed him close, pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “I love you. C’mere.”

“I can’t move,” Dan gasped, and there was warmth to his tone like there never had been before. “Also, literally can’t get any closer.”

“Still not close enough.” Phil held onto him like it was all his life was worth, closed his eyes, nuzzled his face into Dan’s neck. “Going to sleep, now.”

“Ok,” Dan whispered, and then his arms were winding around Phil, and that was the last thing he felt before he fell asleep, and would be the first thing he woke up to the next morning.

The universe had got this one right after all.


End file.
